National Republican., 1887-05-13
INCIDENTS OF HER LIFE
WHICH MISS M'BRIDE GIVES TO THE
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY.
Where and How She Met Nc Fariand-
She Does Detective Work In Missis-
sippi - Charges Her CO. Defendant
with Stealing Hor Property.

The criminal court was in session only
two hours yesterday, and not much progress
was made In the trial of Miss Mary J. Nc
Bride and John w. Mcfarland, charged
with house burning.
Miss Mcbride again took the stand and
stated that, with the exception of one dress,
her wearing apparel was In the house at the
time Of the fire. She admitted the story OF
Mis-. McMurray was correct with the ex-
ception that the time Of the occurrence was
different from when she placed It.
The ecross-examination was conducted by
District Attorney Worthington, who OBJ.
tained from the witness an account of her
abiding places from the time Of her first
arrival In the city down to the time of the
fire. She stated that she first met McFar-
land at jackson, Miss. He was one of the
guards at the penitentiary where she was
confined by order of the governor OF the
state. She had lived In New Orleans and
Texas, but denied ever having lived In a
house OF ill.fame In New Orleans kept by
Anna Bell. An act Of the state Of Mssis-
stppi appropiiating money for detecting
and Furnishing crime, In which 81 500 was
paid to Mary j. Mcbride for assisting in
Furnishing three forgers, one Of which was
the notorious Cunningham, OF the Belt
divorce suit, was brought 10 the witnesses
ut1en.onj anu sue auniJJeu DeluB tne per-
son who received the money. In regard to
the Eleventh street house, the witness
stated that she had not been on the third
floor for six weeks before the fire, and Mrs.
Merriman was mistaken In stating that she
and the witness were In those rooms the
Sunday before the fire. She must have
meant the floor below.
Miss Mcbride was called upon to explain
contradictory statements In regard to NOV.
ing from 515 Eleventh street, condition OF
the rooms anterior to the fire, and duties
OF Mcfarland, who, she said, had full
charge of the house In her absence, and was
very guarded In her answers. She was
unable to tell how she learned Of the prop.
erty being stored on L street, and denied
describing some OF the goods to the lady
holding them before they were seen. The
she knew nothing about it, except that she
thought 1t q packing trunk belonging to
Col. Tracey, and the satchel which had ac-
companied It she did not own. 1t was the
ordinary Persian insect powder, which had
been used to destroy reaches. She sent
Mcfarland for 1t, and It was
bought in half pound packages. Some OF
mistaken for rosin. She denied telling
Lieut.. Arnold, when he Informed her, night
after the fire, Of bed.being saturated with
oil, and the Stats covered with rosin, that 1t
was put there to kill bedbugs. She had
never used oil for that purpose, but had
applied turpentine. The night before the
fire she slept on an open lounge In her
room, taking mattress from her bed In
the morning II was left for Mcfarland to
replace. She purchased linseed oil for the
mating and furniture, and denied when
getting the money from Col. Tracey that
she told him she wanted 1t for the purpose
Of purchasing coal oil.
She admitted that after the fire she got
out warrant against Mcfarland charging
him with stealing stair carpet, kitchen
chair, and room carpet, trifling In value,
but could not explain why she did not
charge him with stealing the property
which had been taken from her house
without her knowledge. Miss Mcbride said
that she was an early riser, but had not the
slightest recollection Of the time she arose
on the morning OF the fire. She remem-
bered very little that had occurred about
the house and what she did beyond getting
her breakfast. She could not tell whether
che left her room or went off that floor that
morning. She had no remembrance
breakfast table with hea excepting Mr..
Moore, and 1t was not long after finishing
before she left the house and started for
the office. After the fire the mattress was
on the lounge, just as she had left 1t, with
rosin scattered over II, but she denied that
she had any rosin In the house or knowing
how 1t came there.
Weaver and Van Manning and house OF
Mrs. McArdle were inquired about, but
nothing new brought out.
Without concluding the examination OF
the witness the court, at IL o'clock, ad-
journed for the day.